About This Course
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right — it is a proven driver of sustainable economic growth. Economies that close gender gaps in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and financial access consistently outperform those that do not. Yet despite decades of progress, significant structural barriers continue to limit women's full participation in economic life, costing nations trillions in unrealised productivity and innovation.
This five-day intensive training programme, delivered by TrainingComplex, provides development professionals, policy makers, and programme managers with a rigorous understanding of the relationship between gender dynamics and economic development. Participants will explore how gender inequality manifests across labour markets, value chains, financial systems, and public institutions — and, critically, what evidence-based interventions can be deployed to address it.
Drawing on global and regional case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, the course moves participants from theoretical understanding to practical application. Participants will leave equipped to conduct gender-responsive analyses, design inclusive economic programmes, apply gender-sensitive budgeting techniques, and monitor progress using robust gender indicators.
This course is suitable for professionals working in government ministries, development finance institutions, NGOs, the private sector, and international organisations who are committed to building economies where every individual — regardless of gender — can contribute fully and benefit equitably.
Who Should Attend
- Policy analysts and economists in government ministries of finance, planning, and gender affairs
- Development programme managers and project officers in NGOs and international development organisations
- Gender advisors and social inclusion specialists embedded in multilateral institutions
- Private sector CSR and sustainability professionals working on gender-lens investing
- Budget officers and public finance managers involved in gender-responsive budgeting initiatives
- Researchers and academics engaged in gender and development studies
- Civil society advocates and community development practitioners
- Monitoring and evaluation specialists responsible for gender-sensitive indicators and reporting
Learning Objectives
- Articulate the theoretical and empirical links between gender equality and sustainable economic development
- Analyse how gender inequalities manifest in labour markets, value chains, and financial systems
- Apply gender analysis frameworks — including the Harvard Analytical Framework and Gender at Work model — to real economic contexts
- Design gender-responsive economic policies and development programmes aligned with national and international commitments
- Conduct gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) exercises and advocate for equitable public resource allocation
- Integrate gender-sensitive indicators into monitoring and evaluation frameworks
- Evaluate the role of financial inclusion, women's entrepreneurship, and access to productive assets in closing gender gaps
- Assess international frameworks including the SDGs, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform for Action as tools for economic accountability
- Develop a gender action plan applicable to participants' own institutional contexts
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Gender and Economic Development
- Defining gender, sex, and social norms in an economic context
- Historical evolution of gender and development theory: WID, WAD, and GAD approaches
- The economic cost of gender inequality: global and regional evidence
- Gender as a cross-cutting issue in the Sustainable Development Goals
- Key international frameworks: CEDAW, Beijing Platform for Action, and Agenda 2063
- Linking gender equality to GDP growth, productivity, and poverty reduction
Module 2: Gender Analysis Frameworks and Tools
- The Harvard Analytical Framework: activity, access, and control profiles
- Moser Framework: practical versus strategic gender needs
- Gender at Work model and organisational change pathways
- Intersectionality: how gender interacts with class, ethnicity, and geography
- Conducting a gender situation analysis in a development programme context
- Selecting the right analytical framework for different economic sectors
Module 3: Gender and Labour Markets
- Gender gaps in labour force participation: global and regional trends
- Occupational segregation and the gender wage gap — causes and consequences
- Unpaid care work: measurement, valuation, and policy responses
- Informal economy dynamics and women's economic vulnerability
- Labour law reforms and their effect on women's employment outcomes
- Case study: closing gender employment gaps in East and West Africa
Module 4: Women's Entrepreneurship and Access to Finance
- Barriers to women's entrepreneurship: legal, social, cultural, and financial constraints
- Financial inclusion strategies: mobile money, microfinance, and savings groups
- Gender-lens investing: principles, instruments, and institutional approaches
- Digital financial services and their potential for women's economic empowerment
- Supporting women-led SMEs through regulatory reform and business development services
- Case study: women's entrepreneurship ecosystems in Rwanda and Ghana
Module 5: Gender in Agriculture and Rural Economies
- Women's roles in smallholder agriculture and food systems
- Land tenure, property rights, and their impact on women's productivity
- Gender gaps in agricultural inputs, extension services, and market access
- Value chain analysis from a gender perspective: identifying entry points and bottlenecks
- Climate change, gender vulnerability, and adaptive livelihood strategies
- Programme models for gender-responsive agricultural development
Module 6: Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB)
- Principles and rationale of gender-responsive budgeting in public finance
- Classifying government expenditure through a gender lens
- GRB tools: gender budget statements, beneficiary assessments, and expenditure tracking
- Integrating GRB into the national budget cycle — entry points and champions
- Civil society and parliamentary roles in gender-sensitive budget oversight
- Country case studies: South Africa, Uganda, and Morocco's GRB experiences
Module 7: Policy Design for Gender-Inclusive Economic Growth
- Principles of gender-responsive policy design and mainstreaming
- Sex-disaggregated data: sources, limitations, and use in policy evidence
- Macroeconomic policy and its differential gender impacts: fiscal, monetary, and trade policy
- Social protection systems as tools for reducing gender-based economic vulnerability
- National gender equality strategies: design, sequencing, and political economy
- Stakeholder engagement and gender-inclusive public consultation processes
Module 8: Gender Mainstreaming in Organisations and Programmes
- What gender mainstreaming means in institutional practice versus rhetoric
- Organisational gender audits: tools and methodologies
- Building internal gender capacity: champions, training, and accountability structures
- Integrating gender into the project cycle: design, implementation, and evaluation
- Donor requirements and gender mainstreaming compliance in development funding
- Leadership and organisational culture as drivers of gender transformation
Module 9: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability for Gender Outcomes
- Developing gender-sensitive indicators aligned with programme objectives
- Using gender-disaggregated data in baseline, midline, and endline assessments
- Gender-responsive evaluation methodologies: participatory and feminist approaches
- Tracking women's economic empowerment: composite indices and scorecards
- Reporting gender results to donors, governments, and the public
- Learning loops: using M&E findings to adapt gender programming in real time
Module 10: Building a Gender Action Plan: Application and Next Steps
- Components of an effective institutional gender action plan
- Conducting a gender gap analysis of participants' own organisations and programmes
- Setting SMART gender equality targets with assigned responsibilities and timelines
- Resource mobilisation strategies for gender-focused programme implementation
- Navigating resistance: strategies for engaging reluctant stakeholders and leadership
- Presentation and peer review of individual gender action plans developed during the course
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a basic understanding of economic development concepts and familiarity with public policy or programme management processes. Prior exposure to gender equality concepts — whether through work experience, academic study, or professional training — is recommended but not mandatory. No advanced economics qualifications are required, and professionals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds are welcome.
Training Methodology
- Gender analysis case study workshops using real country and sector data from Africa and the Middle East to ground theory in practice
- Facilitated policy design simulations in which participants draft gender-responsive economic policies and defend them to a peer review panel
- Gender-responsive budgeting exercises using sample national and programme budgets for hands-on fiscal analysis
- Small group value chain analysis tasks that map gender gaps and entry points across agriculture, trade, and services sectors
- Reflective journaling and institutional self-assessment exercises to connect learning to participants' own organisational contexts
- Expert-led panel discussions featuring practitioners from government, civil society, and the private sector
- Development and peer critique of individual gender action plans as the capstone practical deliverable
- Interactive data interpretation sessions using gender-disaggregated datasets and published gender gap indices
Organisational Benefits
- Strengthened institutional capacity to design and implement gender-responsive economic policies and programmes
- Improved alignment with international commitments such as the SDGs and donor gender mainstreaming requirements
- Enhanced ability to access gender-lens financing and satisfy reporting requirements of development finance institutions
- More equitable resource allocation through the application of gender-responsive budgeting practices
- Reduced risk of programme exclusion or unintended harm to marginalised groups through improved social analysis
- Greater organisational credibility and accountability on gender and inclusion metrics with stakeholders and partners
- A network of trained professionals able to champion gender mainstreaming across sectors and departments
- Practical gender action plans that translate training outcomes directly into institutional policy and programme improvements
Where Is Gender and Economic Development Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Nairobi, Abuja, Nakuru, Dubai, Naivasha, Kisumu, Arusha, Addis Ababa, Pretoria, Zanzibar, Lagos, Kigali, Cape Town, Mombasa, Riyadh, Dar es Salaam, Accra, Kampala, Johannesburg, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
+233 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a background in economics or gender studies to attend this course?
No specialist academic background is required. The course is designed for working professionals with a general understanding of development or policy work. Participants from diverse disciplines — including public administration, finance, agriculture, and civil society — will find the content accessible and applicable.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing the course?
Yes. Participants who attend all sessions and complete the capstone gender action plan will receive a Certificate of Completion issued by TrainingComplex. The certificate can be used for CPD documentation and is recognised by partner institutions across the region.
How is the course structured across the five days?
Each day covers two thematic modules, combining short facilitated lectures with group exercises, case study analysis, and practical tasks. The programme culminates in the presentation of individual gender action plans on the final day, providing a directly applicable output participants take back to their institutions.
Is this course available online for participants who cannot travel?
Yes. A Live Virtual cohort is scheduled on a rolling basis throughout the year, delivering the same curriculum via an interactive online platform with live facilitation, breakout sessions, and collaborative tools. The online format maintains the full five-day schedule across standard working hours.
Can this course be delivered in-house for an entire team or ministry?
Absolutely. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this programme for government ministries, development organisations, and private sector teams. In-house delivery allows the content and case studies to be tailored to your sector, institutional context, and strategic priorities. Contact TrainingComplex directly to discuss your requirements.
